Caranerphelia
by GASPLudwig
Summary: If I could go back-start over,do this all again-I don't think I'd have any choice but to make the same reckless,idiotic decisions all over again.After all,one of these days my life is going to flash before my eyes-I want to make sure it's worth watching.


{Riley}

If I could go back- start over, do this all again- I don't think I'd have any choice but to make the same reckless, idiotic decisions all over again. After all, one of these days my life is going to flash before my eyes- I want to make sure it's worth watching.

"Riley."

I hummed in the back of my throat, not looking away from the book in my hands. The characters were too intriguing; too fascinating. The young girl's older sister was too evil. Her mother was too nice. But more then anything, what really drawled me in, was the idea of a family to begin with. Even if I was only stuck with the evil sister, at least I'd have someone to call my blood.

"When you're done wasting your time, mind finding some fire wood?" I looked up at Ash with narrowed eyes, his normally impassive face unusually unsettled looking. "It's going to get cold tonight."

He tightened his grip around the wooden hunting stick in his hand, glancing around the grassy meadow with shifty eyes.

"I don't have much of a choice do I?" I quirked a neat brow, his dim black eyes twinkling.

"Hunter'll have your head if you don't." We both looked over to the other end of the field at Hunter as she explained the 'proper way to eat a cookie' to Nimb, and Knox. The two messy twins just nodded along with her, even though they would discard the information in a few moments. Like always.

"I'll get to it." I assured him, a sort of smile on my face as I laid the thick paperback on a pile of rocks and started towards the woods, skipping after Ash as he worked his way past low hanging branches and tree stumps.

I linked our fingers when I reached his side, being sure we didn't loose one another was always helpful. Especially since we were in unfamiliar territory.

"Did you hear that?" His head snapped to the right, his hearing pin pointing on something in the distance. I shrugged, walking forward.

"You're a vampire, Ash." I rolled my eyes, "Are you really afraid of whatever animals are out here?"

He grabbed my wrist, keeping me from going too far and pulling me back into his chest.

"Something's not right." His whisper was so low and venomous, I didn't bother arguing with him. I didn't smell anything unusual, but my smell and hearing was already messed up due to our last run in with some hungry pixies. Though I have to say I got the better end of the deal, seeing as Knox left the fight with a giant gash running down his back after saving me. He wasn't a vampire like Ash. He was a Werewolf. And his sister Nimb and Hunter as well.

We were an odd bunch, I can admit it. But we all looked out for each other, which was probably the only rule of being in our group. Have each other's back, and nothing else matters. And Ash did have my back. I trusted him.

He kept hold of my wrist in his, eyes scanning the surrounding trees.

We were too far away from camp to yell for help now. If something was going to attack, it's be here before the others would arrive. Which didn't comfort me much.

"Stop." I jumped as Ash's voice spoke to someone before us. It took me a minute before I could see the strong, young boy as he stepped into the light. He was Quiluete. Like the town we were in. Though the way Ash looked at him, I could tell he wasn't your average Sunday jogger. Ash held me tightly. "Stop. She's human."

I didn't like the way he said that. The way his eyes bore into the man's with great intensity. A shiver ran down my spine.

"I can sacrifice one measly girl if it means keeping you from killing off half the village, leech." His words seeped through the air like fog. His deep, smooth voice sounded odd carrying the harmful words that stung my face a deep red. "You won't hurt her." Ash growled, looking confidently towards the young man.

"I'll do what I have to." The stranger confirmed, locking his eyes on me. "But the question is, why haven't you killed her yet?"

The thought of Ash killing me was slightly…humorous. Though his wasn't the time for laughter. Ash was a big sweet heart. I mean, don't let the shaggy black hair, ripped clothes, muscles, and deathly looks fool you. He was one of the most loving people I knew.

He cried when Hunter killed a spider last month.

"Neither of you will hurt me." I announced strongly, feeling my knees wobble with the unsure thoughts swimming in my head. "You're not a killer, Ash." I stated the obvious, "And you won't let him touch me." That I knew was a fact. Ash would give his life to keep the man away from me.

"Don't trust him. Can't you see he's got you under a spell?" The stranger looked desperate, as if he honestly thought Ash was capable of such things. I smiled at him, trying to ease the situation.

"Don't go near him, Riley, he's a wolf." Ash spit the last word like it was yesterday's dead rabbit leftovers.

"So is Hunter. And the twins." I gave him a stern look. "Or did you forget?"

Ash didn't break his glare with the wolf boy, his eyes seeming to dig into him.

"Now, Jacob." An older man came to stand behind wolf boy, his heavy hand resting on his shoulder and making him break his glare with Ash. "I don't believe he'll hurt us."

Jacob growled, tensing, "And just how do you know that? He could just be acting Sam, pretendin-"

"If he really wanted to hurt you," I spoke out on Ash's behalf, smirking at the boy, "You'd be dead by now."

Sam chuckled, Eyeing me up sharply. I was small, but tried to at least seem menacing. I don't think it was working out too well.

"You're on our land." The older man directed the statement more towards Ash than me, but I took it upon myself to answer anyways.

"Listen, we were just passing through." I huffed boredly, both hands on my hips and one brow cocked at the pair. They only sized me up again, probably wondering why on earth I was traveling with some vampire kid and our three wolfy companions. Speaking of, Knox and Nib came hurtling next to us, as Hunter dropped down from a nearby tree, an arrow already set on her bow as she aimed at the younger wolf's neck. She never missed.

Ash didn't give her a chance to fire though, and instead took hold of her elbow, forcing her to lower the weapon. Knox and Nib were huffing on either side of me, looking more like they needed a nap rather than a fight. I rolled my eyes at them, sending a sharp jab of my elbow into each of their sides.

"Oh calm down, you lot. They just want us off their land." I drawled lazily, picking up a log of considerable size for the fire back at camp.

"We'll be leaving right away." Ash decided, aiming the demand more towards us than the pair of wolf-men.

"BUT I JUST COLLECTED ALL THIS WOOD-" I exclaimed, flailing my log in the air with new intensity. Was he friggin serious? Did I not just lift up this giant thing? I frowned as he took it from my hands and tossed it back to the ground a good distance away.

"Sorry, but we have no intention of letting you leave." The younger boy growled at us, his eyes sharp on Ash who didn't seem to care less.

"Is that a threat?" Hunter was back in action. Honestly, this is what she lived for. She readied her bow once more, the tip of her arrow almost pressing against the neck of the older man. He seemed all too aware of just how close the thing was. It made me gulp.

"Really, we're just-" Knox started,

"On our way-" Nib continued.

"No need for a fight." I finished.


End file.
